Fear Speaking Public

Updated on July 9, 2009

How To Overcome The Fear Speaking Public

One of manís most common and trivial of all
fears is that of speaking before the public, whether it be a small or a
large group, but man has always learned how to cope and have developed
many ways on how to overcome the fear speaking public.

Although we may find people who would rather try to get away from
every instance and opportunity for them to address the public, it is a
rather very difficult thing to do.

This is most basically since man is a social being and will need to
interact with other people at one time or another and even if someone
may have avoided speaking before a group of people, there will always
come a time and a point in oneís life that he or she must speak before
a crowd.
This is also true with leadership.

If one needs to accomplish a task that simply cannot be done by just
one person alone, one needs to speak to a number of people who may be
able to help to accomplish the task.

A leader needs to communicate to a group of people in order to get
the message across, making it an essential tool for leadership and
management.
For many, public speaking is a source of stress, especially for those
who were mentally conditioned to believe that speaking before a group
of people is such a stressful process, with the sense of fear caused by
the presumption that those listening are carefully scrutinizing the
speaker.

This is more so since most people always think that other people
will always measure up to themselves and opening up to a group of
people is like opening up a can of worms.

This certain kind of perception is often the most popular cause of
fear among people and knowing how to overcome it is by simply
understanding that speaking before the public need not be stressful.
Here are some useful tips to consider to help you how to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Try not to set too much expectations upon yourself, since the more
expectations that are set, the more chances of you building up your own
fears of not meeting up with those expectations.

So before speaking in front of a crowd, avoid the notion that you are perfect and that you cannot make mistakes .

Always come prepared, since you need to make sure that you need to
get your message across in the most concise and comprehensible manner
possible.
You donít need to be perfect, all that is needed is for you to be
prepared and ready since this will make you less fearful of committing
a mistake.
Having only two or three main ideas or points can aid in providing more
meat and focus to any message, rather than a cauldron of facts and
figures that may sometimes cause more confusion instead of driving home
the message.

This will also allow the speaker to concentrate on less ideas to
think about and more focus towards matters to make it more
comprehensible and straight to the point.

Having less to think about will result to less errors along the way.
Lastly, always try to buy yourself into what ideas and would like to
convey, since being uncertain about one idea and selling it to others
can only end up in shambles.

Understanding the psychology of fear is important and will greatly
help people in knowing how to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Benefits of overcoming the Fear Speaking Public.

Many people are simply afraid of speaking before a large crowd, but
are you aware that one can stand to learn a lot simply by reaping the
benefits of overcoming the fear of public speaking?

There are a lot of people who tend to neglect that aside from the
professional advantages one can gain from overcoming their fear of
speaking before a crowd, they can also benefit from it personally and
even improve oneís character and personality.

One of the most notable benefits one can get from overcoming that fear is self-confidence.

Overcoming the fear builds self-confidence in a person, especially
making them more sociable compared to when they were previously
allowing their fears getting the best of them, especially when they are
faced with the situation of having to speak before a group of people.

Self-confidence also helps in creating a positive outlook and mental attitude in a person.

Another benefit that one gains from overcoming their fear of public
speaking is self-esteem, which is how a person values or regards
himself.
This is another social trait that one can gain not only for the benefit
of others, but also help shapes character and personality.

Being able to overcome the fear of speaking before a crowd, one can also gain mastery in the art of communication.

Many may not be aware of it, but the secret to good communication
skills also rely on a personís ability to interact well, especially
since when a person is comfortable with speaking before a group of
people, he or she tends to have more focus towards the topics for
discussion and may be able to comprehend matters and topics as well.

Compared to those who are more afraid to interact, especially when
they are more susceptible to the fear that can envelop them, making
them think of other things aside from focusing on the topics at hand.

Another good thing that one can achieve is better active listening
skills, which could result to a better communication or speaking
experience, not just for the benefit of the speaker but for the
audience as well.
Active listening is as important as speaking well, especially since it
is only through active listening that one gets to comprehend things
that are being discussed or interacted upon, making discussions or
interactions as comprehensive and as substantial as well.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking can also help improve oneís
speaking abilities, through proper voice projection and vocal
proficiency as well.
Getting the hang of speaking before a group of people can help a lot
for those that may have difficulties or problems with projecting their
clearly and pronouncing words correctly.

Being comfortable in front of people makes you feel less anxious,
stressed or troubled, since you are less likely to experience the
difficulty of being distracted from what is actually the real topic or
concern that needs to be discussed.

As you can see, overcoming your fear of public speaking is not just
aimed to help one become a better speaker, but has been found out to
also improve oneís personality and character, thus, making your social
and personal life even more fulfilling and satisfying.

One can truly appreciate the real value of how it means to gain from the benefits of overcoming the fear of public speaking.

It is not difficult to overcome the Fear Speaking Public

As much as many people would like to believe that it is very
difficult to overcome the fear of public speaking, understanding the
basic principles and ideas about overcoming fear, then you may be
surprised to see that it is not difficult to overcome the fear of
public speaking.

One of the most common fears that man has when it comes to public
speaking or speaking before a group of people is that they do not want
to look foolish whenever they commit a mistake in front of many people.

This is a very common source of stress that makes people fear the
uncertainty of how good or bad their discussion or talk before the
public turns out.

As we all know, there is always the uncertainty of things that could
always happen and human instincts usually tell us that in order for us
to be made aware of what may or may not happen, our minds rationalize
the steps to address these concerns.

The next step that the mind does to rationalize these is to establish solutions to common problems that we encounter.

It is then processed in the mind based on the extent of out
learning, experiences in life and a lot of other factors that help us
come up with ideas and solutions to address all of these.

Then this is when fear usually comes in.

Fear is usually characterized by manís inability to think of a
logical or practical way of dealing with adversities or difficulties,
especially where one does not have any idea about how to think of ways
to solve a problem or being unable to prepare for any flic speakire
eventuality.

But do not fret, as much as fear is a consequence of past actions or
conditioning of the mind to dwell on past mistakes, it is reassuring to
note that fear is but a normal occurrence in everyday life.
Please find below some guidelines that can help one overcome the fear of public speaking.

First rule is to relax and free the mind of thoughts that may help
increase the chances of increasing fear, rather than diminishing or
eliminating it.
One good practice tip for this is to take deep breaths prior to going
up the stage and delivering the speech or facilitating a meeting.

This is so since breathing is a physiological human process that
helps the mind to clear and aids in the lowering of blood pressure,
Also try to practice your speech in front of a mirror, better yet, you
may also practice speaking by asking others to listen and provide
critique to your speech, that way, you also get the impression that
those listening to you re out to help you and not to castigate you.

After all, the saying ëpractice makes perfectí is indeed a true
testament to those who believe that the more you are comfortable you
are with the situation, the less likelihood of you making a mistake and
will make you better at what you do.

Ask friends or family members to help you out by listening to you
delivering your speech as part of your rehearsal before you actually go
on the stage.

Lastly, be familiar with your topic, since this will greatly help
you condition your mind that you are going for good times ahead.
Now that you know the common and practical steps to ensuring that you
are likely to succeed at public speaking, it is, after all, not
difficult to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Keys to overcoming the Fear Speaking Public

Most people are resolved to the fact that they are never going to
speak in front of a crowd, however, little do they know that the keys
to overcoming the fear of public speaking is as simple as any practical
solution could be.

People gain influence over others and one of the most notable feats
that they are likely to possess is the ability to speak well before a
group of people or before an audience.

Take note of the most famous people in history, most if not all of them, are good speakers in thei own right.

This was when people get win over by their speaking powers and
verbal rhetorics, which makes these famous individuals possess the most
quotable quotes and often listened to statements and opinions.

It all begins with two key points for consideration that can help
not just students, but also business and other organizations as well.

First thing to help people overcome the fear of public speaking is getting to know how to prepare.

Preparation is key to understanding how things can go about,
especially since it has been proven that people do get nervous with the
fact that they will be speaking in public.

Not only can it make one feel comfortable during the course of the
speech, but it initially helps to make one more adequately prepared
with the things they have to say and do.

It is essential to also bear in mind that there is the need to
choose, organize and systematize all possible materials that may be
used for the speech.

Practicing and rehearsing is also a key component in preparation,
that way one feels more confident in making the speech preparation a
more productive and a good learning experience as well.

The more time that is spent to rehearse the speech or topic, the
better, since this will provide you with not only a mastery of the
subject matter, but also a more in depth discussion of it, whould there
be any that may follow.

The next key is for one to take into careful consideration about presentation.

One does not have to be very intelligent and knowledgeable to be an
effective speaker, however, it is important for one to overcome the
fear of public speaking to become an effective one.

This is so since presentation not only requires focus, but also
requires the speaker to also be alert for cues and signals that will
help make the speech process a more fruitful one.

Making a mistake during the presentation process is nothing to be fearful about, nor should it be a cause for stress.

It is also important to know the key factors in making the
presentation, first, know what may be expected, since this will give
you an idea on how you may address the audience.

Considering the demographic and the cultural differences will help
you determine how to make the presentation and how to go about it.
This may be done with a little research before preparing your material
and may be valuable information that you can use to formulate your
topics or discussion.

Lastly, prepare your tools and make use of necessary materials that
may assist in maing the presentation, it could be gestures, graphic
representations or such, but just make sure that it does not take the
limelight away from you.

So take note of these helpful facts and keys to overcoming your Fear Speaking Public.

Tips to overcome the Fear Speaking Public.

Almost everyone has that sense of fear with public speaking and what
better way to address it than to know several tips to overcome the fear
of public speaking.

It is not a surprise to know that the fear of public speaking is a
common problem that hounds a lot of people all over the world and many
are not aware about how they may easily get through with such fears and
lay it all to rest.

Here are some common tips that one can apply and to help overcome the fear of public speaking.

If you come prepared to speak before a group, make it a point to always come prepared.

Some good points in ensuring that you are prepared is to establish
the topics you will be discussing what particular points you want to
drive to your audience and ideas you want to sell to the listeners.

Coming prepared to a talk or a speech helps boost self ñconfidence
and establishes your mastery of the things you want to discuss and
share.

Make it a point to practice at least twice or thrice before going through the process of delivering your speech.

Not only do you get to master your discussion, but this also lessens the burden of committing mistakes.

Another positive note to practice is that during the practice
sessions, you get to iron out kinks that may occur along the way or
make some necessary modifications or revisions to what you hope to work
on.

Prepare a mental outline of the things you want to discuss or say,
this will arm you with the idea and the things you want to say and
reduce your fear of speaking before your audience.

Try to reduce your fears through positive mental attitude.

You should always consider that nobody is perfect and this is one of
the most important facts that would arm us in overcoming your fear of
the stage or speaking before a crowd or a group of people.

Keeping and sustaining a positive mental attitude will help you
through the negative energy that causes you to be anxious or fearful of
the situation that you are in.

Relax and do not dwell on unrealistic fears, especially those you
may think can happen, but also has the tendency of not happening.

Frankly, no one can control what can or may happen in the next hour,
or day or month, however, disregarding that fear of the uncertainty can
indeed help a lot in diminishing, or better yet, totally eliminating
the fear that you may have of public speaking.

Even when you are not about to speak publicly or are just going
through your daily routine, try to keep in mind to practice every once
in a while.

It may be with an officemate, a group discussion, a conference or
convention, a staff meeting, always grab the opportunity to try and
make yourself be heard or interact with those around you.

This is one good way of conditioning yourself in the art of
communicating and public speaking, which will pave the way for how you
can master the art of conversation and communication.

Although there are varying degrees as to how effective these methods
are, but truth be told, these common tips are very effective tips to
overcome the Fear Speaking Public.

Ten important steps to overcome your Fear Speaking Public.

The fear of public speaking is as common to man as the sun is as
common during the day and do not fear, almost everyone goes through the
same process day in and day out, but just to be sure, here are some ten
important steps to overcome the fear of public speaking.

Stage fright itself is a common factor affecting almost every public
speaker, especially when going through the process for the first few
times.
Eventually as time goes by and several speeches later, the fear and stage fright just comes to pass like the smoke in the wind.

Here are some of the most common and effective means to overcome your fear of public speaking.

Nobody is perfect, thus it is but normal for anyone to entertain a
feeling of fear, so accept fear and allow it to pass, since it is very
important to understand that fear will just go away as long as you
understand how it affects you and how you can formulate steps to
conquer it.
Focus on images and thoughts that will help you relax and develop a positive mental attitude.

You can also do this by trying to calm yourself and gain a firm
foothold of any situation by using deep and gentle breathing exercises
to help you gain composure.

Use positive biofeedback by telling yourself that you can overcome
fear and that you can take control of the situation, using supportive
and self-encouraging pep talk can help boost self ñmorale and esteem,
making you more confident about dealing with the anxiety of the
situation or your fear.

Never always ever lose track of reality, this will help you gauge how well you are adapting to any situation that you are in.

Dwell on your strengths and make it the driving force that will push you to try out anything new and to conquer your fears.

Take things one at a time, do not take on situations too seriously
or you could lose focus and lose track of what helps you draw your
strength towards achieving your desired goals and believe it or not,
maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a key factor that can help you
develop that sense of reality.

Always be prepared ahead of time, since cramming is one of the
contributing factors that can even help foster fear from within,
although there are those who believe that cramming does carry some
benefits, but in truth, the disadvantages of cramming far outweigh its
advantages.

Always harbor and develop a good sense of self esteem, even if
sometimes you do not feel confident about yourself. Self ñesteem is the
key to influencing others so make it a point to always have a high
degree of self ñesteem to help you overcome your fears.

When standing in front of a crowd and delivering your message, it
would help diminish fear by letting yourself know that there are
judges and members of a panel to scrutinize and grade you on your
performance, thinking of them more as family and friends to help you
achieve your dreams and overcoming your fears by counting and dwelling
on your mistakes.

These are the ten important steps to overcome your fear of public
speaking and as long as you know how to make good use of it, youíll be
surprised to see that your Fear Speaking Public may just become a thing
of the past.

Take control and overcome your Fear Speaking Public

You may say that youíve lost it when you feel that you have not
lived up to expectations after delivering your speech, however, you can
take control and overcome your Fear Speaking Public.

Fear oftentimes makes people lose track of a good train of thought
and focus, but in reality, fear can be overcome and help one to even
take control of his fear and turn the situation around, as long as he
wills it.
Overcoming the fear of public speaking may not be difficult at all, as
long as you understand how your fear affects you mood and disposition.

For many, the very thought of speaking in front of people or an
audience is reason enough for them to be afraid, nonetheless, this is
not an insurmountable problem.

The fear may be due to several reasons, like the fear of committing
a mistake in the middle of the speech, public scrutiny, shame and not
meeting up to expectations, which are among the many and common reasons
why people fear the thought of going in front of the public.

But you can definitely take control and make the most out of the
situation, especially if you are determined enough to overcome your
fear and keep solid footing.

Try not to set too much expectations upon yourself, since the more
expectations that are set, the more chances of you building up your own
fears of not meeting up with those expectations.

So before speaking in front of a crowd, avoid the notion that you are perfect and that you cannot make mistakes .

Always come prepared, since you need to make sure that you need to
get your message across in the most concise and comprehensible manner
possible.
You donít need to be perfect, all that is needed is for you to be
prepared and ready since this will make you less fearful of committing
a mistake.
Focus on images and thoughts that will help you relax and develop a positive mental attitude.

You can also do this by trying to calm yourself and gain a firm
foothold of any situation by using deep and gentle breathing exercises
to help you gain composure.

Use positive biofeedback by telling yourself that you can overcome
fear and that you can take control of the situation, using supportive
and self-encouraging pep talk can help boost self ñmorale and esteem,
making you more confident about dealing with the anxiety of the
situation or your fear.

Never always ever lose track of reality, this will help you gauge how well you are adapting to any situation that you are in.
Dwell on your strengths and make it the driving force that will push you to try out anything new and to conquer your fears.

Lastly, take things one step at a time, do not take on situations
too seriously or you could lose focus and lose track of what helps you
draw your strength towards achieving your desired goals and believe it
or not, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a key factor that can help
you develop that sense of reality.

So try to take these items to heart, understand it well and make the
most out of it, since it will help you take control and overcome your
Fear Speaking Public.